Vegetarian Dish - Peas Read Carefully!

I have been very bad at blogging and keeping new recipes up. The truth is I have sorta slid into a comfort of tried and true dinners and not experimenting.

Tonight I decided to try something I came across..it was light and "guilt-free" and after a hot day spent by the pool, it sounded refreshing. The problem with being a cooking hobbyist is, you look over a recipe and do the math in your head.."ok, I have this and I don't have that, but I can use this instead" but sometimes you forget to go back and read it carefully.

It wasn't until I was eating and looking at the picture that I realized that I had added the peas to the food processor. It changed the texture of the recipe but I don't think it was a bad thing.

Here is the recipe as it is suppose to be..

 Angel Hair Pasta with Walnuts and Peas

• 1 cup walnuts
• 6 cloves roasted garlic or more to taste
• 1/2 cup basil , ripped into small pieces
• 7 ounces (1/2 package) angel hair spaghetti , cooked according to package instructions
• 2 cups fresh peas or frozen , defrosted at room temperature
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• Black pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste

Directions: 

Place 6 cloves of garlic (do not peel) on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and wrap tight. Cook for 45 minutes on 350. Remove packet and allow to cool. Squeeze garlic into processor bowl.

Combine the walnuts, garlic, basil and 1/3 cup water in a food processor for 1 minute.

Toss the walnut mixture with the hot cooked pasta, peas, salt, pepper and red pepper
flakes, if desired, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 

Per serving, about: calories: 442; protein: 15 g; carbohydrate: 53 g; dietary fiber: 11 g; sugars: 7 g; total fat: 21g; saturated fat: 2 g; cholesterol: 0 mg; calcium: 63 mg; sodium: 296 mg 

I usually use Dreamfield's pasta but I wanted to use Angel Hair and my grocer does not carry many different options. You could use whole wheat pasta for a real guilt free meal but I really do not like whole wheat so I will forgo dessert tonight to make up for the bad pasta! LOL

Callin' for the Cauliflower!

Cooked cauliflower is not something I make often. I love it raw in a salad or on a veggie platter, but the only time I really eat it cooked is if a restaurant has steamed it into the "vegetable of the day" side item. I have seen some of the low carb books include a recipe for faux mashed potatoes using steamed cauliflower but I have never attempted that (yet). In this dish, the cauliflower really doesn't have a taste..it takes on the nutty flavor of the browned butter and is very bulky and filling. Always good with a vegetable.

When I found this recipe from Martha Stewart I have to be honest, it looked easy and I had all the ingredients in my pantry so it meant I didn't need to go to the grocer on my way home. Let me correct that..I THOUGHT I had everything...the croutons that I had in the back of the closet forever were missing. Luckily, I had a baguette in the freezer so I put that in my food processor and followed the instructions for toasting the crumbs.

Now, before you have a heart attack looking at the butter that is in the dish..remember! You are not eating the entire dish. This will serve 4 people and I had leftovers for 2 lunches. It is all about portion control in my mind.  I also use Dreamfields Pasta which is a low carb/ high fiber pasta. There are other brands out there, but I think Dreamfields tastes great!

Enjoy!


Linguine with Cauliflower and Brown Butter

3/4 cup packaged croutons or 3 slices stale bread
6 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 medium cauliflower (2 1/2 pounds), cut into florets
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound linguine
10 fresh sage leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 shallot, minced
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Directions

1.Place croutons in a plastic bag, and crush to coarse crumbs with a rolling pin. (If using bread, grind in a food processor, and toast in a dry skillet until golden, 2 to 3 minutes, shaking skillet frequently to toast evenly.)

2.In a large skillet, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add cauliflower florets and 1/4 teaspoon salt; saute, 15 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water; cook until cauliflower is tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 3 to 4 minutes.

3.In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook linguine until al dente ( when you bite it, it should sort of still have a firm center), about 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.

4.In pasta pot, melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in sage and shallot; cook until butter is golden brown, 3 minutes. Add pasta, cauliflower, parsley, and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water if pasta seems dry. To serve, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and more Parmesan.

Jelly Chops?

Preserves, Jelly..same thing. I don't cook pork very often. I guess I should because it is the other white meat, but I honestly don't think about pork too much...I am a red meat girl.


But this was a recipe that sounded good and Rick is always game to try anything once.


Personally, I have cut back on the soy sauce in later preparations. I find it too tart but I don't like it and never use it with Chinese food. If you don't mind the taste, you could probably leave as is.


Living in Florida, I am spoiled that produce is always available..if fresh blackberries are not in season or unreasonable, you can use frozen or just leave them out all together.




The picture is from the iphone..so not really a beauty shot.




Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin chops (3/4-inch thick)
2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning
olive oil cooking spray
1/4 cup blackberry preserves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
dash cinnamon
dash curry powder
1 cup fresh blackberries (optional, rinsed)

Steps

1. Preheat grill. Sprinkle both sides of pork with steak seasoning. Coat both sides of pork with cooking spray; place on grill (wash hands). Close lid (or cover loosely with foil).
2. Grill 4–5 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 160°F (for medium). Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness.
3. Combine remaining ingredients (except blackberries) in small saucepan. Bring just to boiling on medium, stirring occasionally, to liquefy preserves.
4. Cover and remove from heat.
5. Ladle sauce over pork chops and garnish with blackberries. Serve.

CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 300kcal; FAT 10g; CHOL 95mg; SODIUM 870mg; CARB 13g; FIBER 0g; PROTEIN 37g; VIT A 0%; VIT C 0%; CALC 2%; IRON 6%

To Skirt or Strip??

Right here, it writing I will admit I am a steak purist. I actually cringe when I hear people ask for A-1 steak sauce. Why would you put that on a lovely cow? What did it do to you? I also have a whole thing about cooking a steak to well-done, but let's offend only one type of reader per blog!

Growing up, Saturday nights were "steak night". Dad would set up the grill and fuss over the steak like a baby. I have continued this tradition to this day. Were he alive today, I would love to cook him a steak. I pride myself on the charred crust of the outside and perfect pink inside (ok, red..but only for my daughter and myself). I have always stuck to sirloin or NY Strip because of the thicker cut and was sure that any other cut was beneath me!

Until the butcher told me about skirt steak.

I was making fajitas one night and was about to buy flank when my grocer's butcher told me that skirt steak was better. It cooks quick and you should trim the fat off before you grill but the flavor was incredible. I started to actually think that this could be a good piece for Saturdays!

When a friend introduced me to churrasco which had a green chimichurri sauce you spooned over. Being a purist, I wrinkled my nose but not wanting to insult them, I tried it.

Um, HEA-VEN!

The green chimichurri sauce is really more like a pesto and who doesn't like pesto! You don't need a lot of it to get the garlicky flavor that goes incredibly well with the moist skirt steak. I spoon some on and spread it like across the steak so that each bite has some sauce.

The steak is pretty easy. I usually will buy a package of 2 or 3 strips..about a pound and a half. For a rub, I will use some olive oil and taco seasoning. If I don't have a packet of that..Cumin, salt and pepper will do.

I heat the grill to about 400. I like the hot and quick method. You cook the steak very hot for a nice char and it cooks about 5 minutes per side for medium rare but it really varies by the thickness of your steak. I use a gas grill so the hottest part of the fire is in the back middle. The thickest part of the steak is laid there with the thinner side pointed toward the front of the grill which runs cooler on mine.

After grilling, remove and loosely cover with foil and allow meat to rest. For years, I was always in a rush to eat the steak while it was fresh off the grill but all the lovely moisture poured out of the meat and onto the plate. Now I have learned a little patience lets the trapped liquid be reabsorbed back into the tissue and that makes for better meat.

Slice the steak against the grain with your knife at a 30 degree angle for nice, mouthful bites. Top with the chimichurri sauce and enjoy


Parsley Chimichurri
6 cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
2 jalapeño chiles,
with seeds, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup finely minced fresh curly parsley
1/2 cup fresh finely minced flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup fresh finely minced oregano
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil


1. To make the chimichurri, combine the garlic, bay leaves, jalapeños, and salt in a mortar and mash with a pestle until a smooth paste is formed (or you can purée with a small amount of vinegar in a blender). Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the parsleys and oregano. Whisk in the vinegar and olive oil until well combined. Set aside.

Birds Nest Bruschetta - er, tapas

I called this Bird's Nest Bruschetta but when I actually looked up the meaning of bruschetta, it really can't be called that. Bruschetta (Italian pronunciation: [brusˈketta] ) is an appetizer with origins from central Italy. It consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Mine is using a melted cheese nest instead of bread so maybe the Spanish Tapas would be better?

A few years ago I discovered something pretty cool about hard cheeses such as Parmesan and Romano. If you heat them in a non-stick pan, they melt but will hold their shape allowing you to flip them like a pancake. I found these great little non stick tins in Williams Sonoma..their actual purpose, I have no idea but I thought they would be great molds for my cheese experiment. If you don't want to go out and buy special tins, you could use the back of a spoon for the cheese mold too.



Heating the cheese and inserting it into the mold until the cheese cools allows the cups shape to hold and because the cheese is shredded and not grated, they come out looking a little like bird's nests. Be sure you are shredding and not grating. I guess you could grate, but you won't have the long pieces that look like a nest.

I top them with a tomato salsa mixture but you could use your imagination and fill with anything that isn't too heavy.


Bird's Nest Tapas

Topping

Diced Tomatos (small bites are better)
large handful of Flat Leaf or Italian Parsley
1c red onion, diced small
2 springs fresh Thyme - striped leave from stem by pulling backward
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Parmasan/Romano SHREDDED cheese per nest - I usually shred about 2 cups
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the topping in a bowl and set aside to marry flavors

Nests
Shredded hard cheese such as Parmasan Reggiano or Romano

Heat non stick pan over medium high heat. Because of the natural oil in the cheese, you don't need to oil or spray the pan but make sure your skillet isn't too worn or it could stick in the scratches.
Take approx 1 tbsp of grated cheese and place in the pan and spread to about the diameter of a silver dollar. Add more cheese to cover the center of the circle if too many gaps. Repeat as many times as your pan will hold without touching. I usually can do 6 or so.
Once cheese starts to melt, use tongs to lift the edge and check. When they become a light golden color, grab the edge and in one quick movement, flip the cheese circle and repeat with others.
Once the cheese has completed a light brown color, lift the edge and place in cups or over the back of a teaspoon and mold. Careful not to break because once the cheese cools, it becomes brittle. Repeat for as many cups as you desire.

Place cups on a plate and top with tomato salsa and serve.

Mo-ROCKIN Style Chicken

Ok..Moroccan..but I am trying to be funny. Not working, huh?

This was a recipe I found that called for pork tenderloin but I had shrimp and chicken so I thought I would try that. It also calls for it to be served on flatbread but I wasn't feelin it, so I served it over jasmine herb rice and it was amazing.

It is a pretty easy recipe and you could do the sauce a day ahead and refrigerate if you wanted. It calls for being made in a blender, but my hubby got me this great Cuisinart immersion blender for Christmas and I threw everything in the cup and blended it up. Very simple!

I am going to post the recipe as is..at the bottom, I will include the substitution for you. I made this again last night and I think if you make the sauce a day ahead, the flavors really marry nice. It is quick and I had dinner done in the 45 minutes it took to steam the rice..that includes cleaning the shrimp and slicing the chicken.

Moroccan Style Flatbread
1 red pepper
2/3 cup + 1/3 cup cilantro (coarsely chopped)
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)*
3/4 cup fresh pre-diced red onions, divided
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon water
Pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
2 naan or flat breads (regular or garlic flavor)
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 oz fat-free light Key lime yogurt**

Prep
•Cut one-half of red pepper into bite-size pieces (2/3 cup).
•Chop cilantro.
•Cut pork lengthwise, turn and slice evenly into thin strips (wash hands).

Steps

1.Place red peppers, 2/3 cup cilantro, 1/2 cup onions, 1/4 cup oil, paprika, cumin, garlic, tomato paste, water, and crushed red pepper into blender; blend until smooth.
2.Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Coat bread with cooking spray; cook 1 minute on each side or until golden and crispy. Repeat with remaining bread. (Or heat bread following package instructions.)
3.Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Season pork with salt and pepper then place in pan with 1 tablespoon oil; cook and stir 3–4 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
4.Reduce heat to low and add sauce; cook 1–2 minutes or until warmed. Top each flatbread with pork mixture. Stir 1/4 cup onions into yogurt; spoon lightly over top of pork. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cilantro. Cut into wedges or quarters and serve.

CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 530 kcal; FAT 26g; CHOL 80mg; SODIUM 710 mg; CARB 41g; FIBER 4g; PROTEIN 32g; VIT A 45%; VIT C 70%; CALC 15%; IRON 20% - Info will change if you use the shrimp and chicken and omit the flatbread!

Jasmine Herb Rice

2c cooked jasmine rice,
1 tbsp butter
1/4 c chopped cilantro
1 tsp fresh dill chopped

Prepare the rice as instructed on packaging. I use a steamer to make my rice. It is easy to set it and move on and not worry about over cooking. Stir in butter and add chopped cilantro and dill.

Note - I used about a pound of chicken breast sliced into strips and about a half a pound of cleaned and shelled shrimp. Cook in the pan as you would the pork ..allow chicken to become white and shrimp to turn pink. 
Pour all but 1/4 cup of the sauce over the meat and heat on low. Just before serving, stir in the remainder of sauce and serve.

** I thought I posted this..but I don't see it -
I did not care for the Key Lime yogurt..I didn't use fat-free, I used Yoplait regular Key Lime Pie flavor but it was too tangy and just "off". My husband and I agree that it took away from the dish so when I made it last night, I did not use the yogurt..

Did someone say Pie?

Let's just admit right here..I am not a baker. Remember the bit of this, pincha that? That is my cooking style so only rarely do I step out of my comfort zone to actually bake.

Tonight I decided to try a treat I have heard of down in the Keys...you know the place. Where wanton chocolate lust runs amuck! Amuck Amuck Amuck! Yes..only wanton chocolate lust runs down in the Keys..this is a family friendly blog!

One of my favorite pies is Publix Key Lime pie. Usually it is garnished with fresh whipped cream and occasionally with slivered almonds. One of my readers who acts as my editor (really, she just tells me if I make sense to normal people) tells me that making key lime pie is super easy..so that will be my new challenge! I really only make one kind of pie and that is a peanut butter silk and it is sorta a secret recipe..so I will need to think about posting that...but I digress.

The simplest was to make this slice of tropical heaven is to place a Popsicle stick or skewer in the back of a piece ..crust side and place in the freezer overnight. The freezer helps keep the pie from melting when the hot chocolate is poured over. In a double boiler, melt about a cup of the 70% bittersweet pieces for each piece (3 pieces of pie= 3c chips). If you don't like bittersweet, try the Nestle's Toll House Semi Sweet chips.

Dip or spoon chocolate over the piece, plate and refreeze for a tart/sweet treat.

I think I will try this with a Banana Cream Pie slice too, because chocolate and banana can't be bad either!